https://www.proz.com/kudoz/portuguese-to-english/other/258812-cara-de-pau.html

cara de pau

English translation: cheeky

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Portuguese term or phrase:cara de pau
English translation:cheeky
Entered by: Aline Leal

04:11 Aug 26, 2002
Portuguese to English translations [Non-PRO]
Portuguese term or phrase: cara de pau
giria

mas que cara de pau!
sujeito mais cara de pau.

gostaria de saber se alguem tem alguma ideia do que seria a melhor aproximação desta expressão em ingles?
Grasa
Brazil
Local time: 09:01
cheeky
Explanation:
that's the term everyone uses!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-08-26 09:42:15 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

(and it\'s got the exact same meaning!)
some links:
www.anime-corner.com/dive/translations/vol14.html
www.geocities.com/maria_pisces/diary07.htm
www.animelyrics.com/anime/ranma/rnyasshi.htm
http://www.clioonline.com/westfiction/group/someone_to_rely_...
someone_to_rely_on/stro_ch20-22.htm
http://216.239.39.100/search?q=cache:0H695ObvBUMC:www.dogpag...
Selected response from:

Aline Leal
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:01
Grading comment
Aceito, mas ainda nao estou convencida...

agradeço a todos pela participação.
Sempre aprendendo..

muita paz a todos,
grasa
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +5cheeky
Aline Leal
5 +3Exemplo de cara de pau
José Cavalcante
5 +2this guy has a lot of nerve
nandabreu (X)
5he/she's very forward
Gino Amaral
5dead-pan
Henrique Serra
5isso depende muito do contexto...
Rafa Lombardino
5 -1conniving
amarante dasilva
5 -1insolence / impertinence /barefacedness
Maria Luisa Duarte
5 -1dead-pan, poker-face, conniving, brazen
Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
4 -1Straight-faced/ poker-faced
Kimberley
3 -3face of wood
António Ribeiro


  

Answers


9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): -3
face of wood


Explanation:
Veja no site que indico. É assim que os brasileiros traduzem!!!

Aprendendo Inglês- [Translate this page ]
... She broke her face ! - Ela quebrou a cara ! - You are very face of wood
! - Você é muito cara de pau ! - He is with the female monkey ! ...
planeta.terra.com.br/lazer/entropia/ literatura/texto/apreding.html - 14k - Cached - Similar pages

De momento não estou a ver uma expressão inglesa que dê a ideia.



António Ribeiro
Local time: 02:01
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in pair: 2288

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Gino Amaral: Esses exemplos são apenas brincadeiras, tipo "ao pé da letra".
5 mins
  -> Mas é o exemplo que a "bíblia internet" dá (em brasileiro, claro está!!!).

disagree  Rafa Lombardino: Antonio... Isso é só para "brasileiro ver"... Quando eu digo isso pro meu marido, ele nem dá risada porque não entende o que é uma "wooden face"! :o(
6 hrs

disagree  Emilia Carneiro: é só brincadeira!
9 hrs

agree  Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X): Antonio, existe, wooden-faced but it has another meaning
15 hrs
  -> Which is.....

disagree  Rene Duvekot: isso é tirado do livro do Millor Fernandes (the cow went to the swamp), onde tudo é traduzido "to the foot of the letter"
19 hrs
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13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
he/she's very forward


Explanation:
Se for com uma conotação mais negativa. talvez "brazen" possa resolver.

HTH.

Gino Amaral
Brazil
Local time: 13:01
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in pair: 87

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  António Ribeiro: Ser "cara de pau" não é ser "forward", antes pelo contrário.
6 mins

neutral  amarante dasilva: Gino, i think that "conniving" may be more appropriate...
1 hr

agree  José Cavalcante: O brazen ou brazen-faced aparecem como cara de pau no Babylon
9 hrs
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34 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
Straight-faced/ poker-faced


Explanation:
Depends upon the context...in general they both mean "to not show an emotion." The sentence, "John told it to me straight-faced," would imply that the person didn't know if John was joking, lying, or telling the truth. Poker-faced is also used in the sense of concealing something (such as when you are hiding whether your cards are good or bad in a game). Hope this helps!

Kimberley
United States
Local time: 11:01
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  António Ribeiro: Cara de pau não significa pessoa que não mestra emoções. Significa antes pessoa carrancuda, mal humorada. Ou então pessoa atrevida ou descarada.
41 mins

neutral  Emilia Carneiro: cara de pau não é uma pessoa carrancuda, e sim um sínico
8 hrs

neutral  José Cavalcante: Mas um cínico com C, Emília, pois sínico seria um chinês (nesse caso é uma cara de pau amarelo)
9 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): -1
conniving


Explanation:
-a person who may tell you something with a "straight face" and really mean something else...

amarante dasilva
Canada
Local time: 12:01
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 56

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  José Cavalcante: Cara de pau não significa isso, mas uma pessoa que não tem escrúpulos, vergonha, que é muito abusada, cínico, entrão, etc.
8 hrs
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): -1
insolence / impertinence /barefacedness


Explanation:
or

effrontery
his cheek amazes me!


Maria Luisa Duarte
Spain
Local time: 17:01
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in pair: 1916

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  José Cavalcante: Nenhum desse corresponde a um cara de pau.
6 hrs
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +5
cheeky


Explanation:
that's the term everyone uses!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-08-26 09:42:15 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

(and it\'s got the exact same meaning!)
some links:
www.anime-corner.com/dive/translations/vol14.html
www.geocities.com/maria_pisces/diary07.htm
www.animelyrics.com/anime/ranma/rnyasshi.htm
http://www.clioonline.com/westfiction/group/someone_to_rely_...
someone_to_rely_on/stro_ch20-22.htm
http://216.239.39.100/search?q=cache:0H695ObvBUMC:www.dogpag...

Aline Leal
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:01
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in pair: 8
Grading comment
Aceito, mas ainda nao estou convencida...

agradeço a todos pela participação.
Sempre aprendendo..

muita paz a todos,
grasa

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  BrazBiz
1 hr
  -> Obrigada, BrazBiz!

agree  Daniel Marcus: This is the one!
2 hrs
  -> Obrigada, Daniel!

agree  Ana Rita Santiago: I like this and also nandabreu's suggestion, depending on the context.
4 hrs
  -> Obrigada, Ana Rita!

agree  José Cavalcante: É o único dos aqui apresentados que corresponde a cara de pau ou descarado
4 hrs
  -> Obrigada, José!

agree  LoreAC (X)
1 day 1 hr
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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
dead-pan


Explanation:
Ou também poker-face (já sugerido por alguém mais) ou ainda "such a brazen-faced fellow".




    Dicion�rio de Express�es Idiom�ticas Ingl�s-Portugu�s Portugu�s-Ingl�s, MEC
Henrique Serra
United States
Local time: 10:01
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in pair: 756
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7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
this guy has a lot of nerve


Explanation:
in general, i chose to translate the adjective "cara de pau" as "to have some nerve" or "to have a lot of nerve" because it seems to me to convey the notion that the person is doing something innapropriate, knows it is innapropriate but does it all the same

nandabreu (X)
PRO pts in pair: 7

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ana Rita Santiago: Depending on the context, this is perfect.
2 hrs

agree  Emilia Carneiro: good choice
2 hrs
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7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
isso depende muito do contexto...


Explanation:
Vou lhe contar um pouquinho da minha experiência...

Tenho tentado explicar o que é "cara-de-pau" para o meu marido, que é norte-americano, há tempos. Quando uso como exemplo as ações dele, do sobrinho ou de amigos, ele entende o contexto, mas não é fácil colocar em uma palavra a nossa conotação para cara-de-pau (veja o que acontece com "saudade"... sempre falta alguma coisinha na tradução para qualquer outra língua).

Bem, você poderia dizer que o cara é "straightforward" ou "outspoken" no sentido de ser direto, de 'falar na lata' (em italiano, usam "franchezza"), mas nunca de ser justo. Porém, esses termos não poderiam ser usados em toda ocasião, já que a conduta do cara-de-pau não se resume a não ter papas na língua, mas também ser "not easily ashamed", como o sujeito que faz e desfaz sem sentir um mínimo de vergonha, de culpa.

Poderia até ser um "jerk"; aquele que sempre irrita os outros ou "a bothersome" no caso daqueles que 'xavecam' a mulher na 'cara dura'.

Às vezes, na brincadeira, eu solto um "you feel so special, uh?" ou "take a look at yourself in the mirror". A verdade é que o cara-de-pau não vai ser encontrado em apenas uma palavra no idioma inglês. O negócio é sentir no momento e procurar um xingamento que se encaixe na situação.

Bem, o melhor mesmo é fingir que está batendo na cara da pessoa do mesmo jeito que se bate na madeira! Isso dá certo com o meu marido! ;o)

Rafa Lombardino
United States
Local time: 09:01
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 137
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7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): -1
dead-pan, poker-face, conniving, brazen


Explanation:
If someone tells you something in a dead-pan way or poker-faced way and he or she means something else, he or she IS brazen or conniving. So in the sense that cara-de-pau means that a person has a "straight"-faced expression when something else is going on, the other thing that is going on is the fact that he or she is brazen or conniving. So I think any of the terms dead-pan, poker- or straight-faced can be used. But one should use one of them.

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Note added at 2002-08-26 19:56:16 (GMT) Post-grading
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The point I am trying to make, if you could just let yourselves read is that BEHIND the face, there is something else going on. BUT the translation, should in my opinion, carry the SEME \"cara\". I wasn\'t looking to win this just to explain, that whether you say poker faced, or straight faced or WHAtever with face and cara de pau, there is something going on behind the facade. Cheeky is a fine translation BUT it doesn\'t provide the taste of the original. Y

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Note added at 2002-08-27 00:02:06 (GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

PLEASE NOTE:
I am NOT attacking anyone. I AM SAYING THAT Cara de pau can be translated many ways and that behind a cara-de-pau there lies something. Something is there. Otherwise, it wouldn\'t be a cara-de-pau. In the same way, using a translation with one of the \"face\" possibilities might preserve THE FLAVOR of the orginal. THAT IN NO WAY MEANS that \"cheeky\" is wrong. As a matter of fact, cheeky is cheeky because the person is smiling and meaning something slightly different than sweetness. Just like cara-de-pau. Sometimes PROCESS is what is interesting. Whoever can\'t see that, misses the point of translation. I was just making a point and I stand by it. And I say all this with no langue de bois.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-08-27 00:03:07 (GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

PLEASE NOTE:
I am NOT attacking anyone. I AM SAYING THAT Cara de pau can be translated many ways and that behind a cara-de-pau there lies something. Something is there. Otherwise, it wouldn\'t be a cara-de-pau. In the same way, using a translation with one of the \"face\" possibilities might preserve THE FLAVOR of the orginal. THAT IN NO WAY MEANS that \"cheeky\" is wrong. As a matter of fact, cheeky is cheeky because the person is smiling and meaning something slightly different than sweetness. Just like cara-de-pau. Sometimes PROCESS is what is interesting. Whoever can\'t see that, misses the point of translation. I was just making a point and I stand by it. And I say all this with no langue de bois.

Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in pair: 3273

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Aline Leal: that's not really what "cara-de-pau" means...
26 mins
  -> I was explaining a process NOT a translation

disagree  Rafa Lombardino: there's more to it than that...
3 hrs
  -> Cara-de-apu certainly contains one thing on the face of it and another behind. That's all my explanation attempted. NBut you missed it as usual.

agree  Daniel Marcus: Cheeky is right. Calm down, Jane! You don't need to go on the attack when people disagree. Your explanation is persuasive, but of your 4 suggestions only brazen is right, and even that is old-fashioned. Sorry, but I disagree.
10 hrs
  -> You still don;t get it. I NEVER said cheeky was wrong. I was trying to explain the relationship between cara-de-pau and what is BEHIND the cara-de-pau, using other people's translations. Cheeky can be added. I was explaining that something lies BEHIND it.
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10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Exemplo de cara de pau


Explanation:
Para esclarecer o tema, quando uma pessoa é descarada, não se importa muito com a ética e faz pouco caso da opinião alheia ou quando é atrevida, ousada, ela é um cara de pau. É o mesmo que sem vergonha (no sentido de não ser tímido) e assim por diante. Exemplo: "Contei aquela mentira na maior cara de pau!" ; "Cara de pau, esse amor é cara de pau - musiquinha que fala de um amor meio sem vergonha, sem juízo, etc.
Outro caso: Ele me devia 100 dólares e ainda teve a cara de pau de me pedir mais 100 sem pagar nada do que devia antes.
E por aí a fora...
Quanto ao termo em inglês, alguns colegas já deram boas sugestões, como brazen e cheeky.
abraços e bom trabalho


José Cavalcante
Brazil
Local time: 13:01
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in pair: 78

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Roberto Cavalcanti: E tem colegas que tem a cara de pau de traduzir sem saber o significado
4 mins
  -> haja cara de pau

agree  Rafa Lombardino: "poizé", José ;o) O negócio mesmo é ver o termo que se encaixa no momento
40 mins
  -> obrigado, Gataela

agree  Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X): Right, there is the face and what's behind it.
5 hrs
  -> thanks, Jane
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